Apple Named America’s Most Profitable Retailer, But Which Company Took Second? — Dollars and Sense

In news that would make Steve Jobs proud, Apple has been named America’s most profitable retailer, beating out other powerhouses like Tiffany & Co., GameStop and Select Comfort.

In a ranking by retail analysis company RetailSails, Apple rang up $5,647 in merchandise per square foot of store space, compared to just $3,085 for the second-place finisher, upscale-jewelry brand Tiffany & Co.

Handbag and leather goods retailer Coach brought in $1,824 per square foot, with Lululemon Athletica and clothing company True Religion rounding out the top five — they had $1,800 and $1,096 in sales per square foot of retail space, respectively.

But when it comes to the highest sales per store, the list changes entirely. Each Costco Wholesale location averages more than $131,000 per year, besting competitor Sam’s Club by almost double — its stores bring in $74,000 annually. Walmart, Nordstrom and BJ’s Wholesale stores complete that top five list.

The study also found that while many of us prefer to do our shopping online, we’re a small minority. In fact, 92 percent of all retail sales are still done in brick and mortar stores.